Signs of Skin Cancer
Did you know that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in humans? Unfortunately, it is estimated that about 1 million new cases of skin cancer happen every year in the United States, and the annual occurrence rates of all types of skin cancer are actually increasing each year, which has caused a great deal of concern in the public and scientific worlds. In addition, it has also been concluded that almost half of all Americans who live to age 65 or older will develop a form of skin cancer at least once.
Fortunately, there are some common signs of skin cancer, so you can do something about it before it is too late. The most common type of warning sign for skin cancer is a change in the appearance of your skin, like a new growth or a sore that just won’t go away. There are actually three different types of skin cancer, which each represent a different condition. From the most to the least dangerous, they are basal cell carcinoma, squamos cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
The two most common types of skin cancer are the basal cell and the squamos cell carcinoma. These two conditions are referred to as the nonmelanoma forms of skin cancer. Melanoma itself is considered to be the most serious form of skin cancer, because it tends to spread throughout the body very quickly.
Basal cell carcinoma, which is the least dangerous (but still a serious) form of skin cancer, usually starts as a small bump that has a dome shape to it, and it is usually covered by small, surface blood vessels which are called telangiectases. The texture of the spot is usually shiny and translucent, or pearly. It’s often hard to tell this type of cancer apart from a benign growth like a mole. These spots usually show up on the chest or back, and they look like patches of raw, dry skin. They can grow over the course of a few months or a few years. Basal cell carcinomas grow very slowly, and usually don’t get very large until months or years have passed. While this type of cancer spreads to the other parts of the body very slowly, it can cause damage to appendages like the eye, ear, or nose if it is located nearby.
Squamos cell carcinoma shows up as rough, red bumps on the scalp, ears, face, and backs of the hands. They can sometimes appear against a background of sun-damaged or mottled skin. They might be sore or tender to the touch. This type of skin cancer grows a little more quickly than the first type we mentioned. The beginning stage of this condition is called an actinic keratoses. This most prominent risk factor for developing squamos cell carcinoma is exposure to the sun. The lesions associated with this condition may appear after years of sun damage on certain parts of the body, such as the cheeks and forehead, or the backs of the hands.